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sports briefs for Mar. 27, 2013

WBYA-FM to air Red Sox for two seasons

ISLESBORO, Maine — Radio station 105.5 Frank FM (WBYA), a member of the Binnie Media family of radio stations, has announced it has reached an agreement to bring Boston Red Sox Baseball back to MidCoast Maine radio for the 2013 & 2014 seasons. WBYA will air all 162 regular-season games and all Red Sox playoff games. The first broadcast will be Monday, April 1.

“The Red Sox are part of the New England fabric and we are very happy that

thousands of local fans will be able to hear all of the games no matter where they

are in the region,” said Pat Collins, Vice President of Operations for Binnie Media New England, which owns and operates 17 radio stations in Maine and New Hampshire.

Auriemma signs $10.86M extension at UConn

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma isn’t going anywhere after signing a five-year, $10.86 million contract, the school announced on Wednesday.

Auriemma’s contract was set to expire April 15, but the new deal will continue to keep him at the school where he has coached at since 1985.

Auriemma, 59, will have make just under $2 million next season, with an escalator clause that will raise to $2.4 million in the 2017-18 season, the final year of the new deal. He will be 64 years old and have been at the school for 33 years at that point.

There are also built-in performance incentives for conference or tournament titles, making the NCAA tournament, winning the regional semifinals, making the Final Four and, of course, winning yet another national championship.

Falcons, Umenyiora agree on two-year deal

The Atlanta Falcons and free agent defensive end Osi Umenyiora on Wednesday agreed on a two-year deal bringing an end to the 31-year-old’s career with the New York Giants.

The deal is worth $8.5 million with a maximum value of $12 million and $5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.com.

Umenyiora was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time Super Bowl champion during his time in New York. For his career, he has 75 sacks and 32 forced fumbles.

Bruins make waiver claim on LW Daugavins

The Boston Bruins claimed left winger Kaspars Daugavins off waivers on Wednesday from the Ottawa Senators.

Daugavins, 24, had one goal and two assists with nine penalty minutes in 19 games with the Senators this season. In 85 career NHL games, Daugavins has 14 points.

Lakers’ ‘World Peace’ faces knee surgery

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace will undergo surgery on Thursday on his injured left knee, the team announced Wednesday.

The 33-year-old veteran is expected to miss six weeks, which means a projected return likely hinges on the Lakers making the NBA playoffs.

World Peace suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee in the first half of Monday night’s 109-103 loss to Golden State..

Jodie Meeks started in World Peace’s place when the Lakers face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, coach Mike D’Antoni said.

World Peace, a 14-year veteran, is averaging 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Report: Northwestern to hire Collins as coach

WASHINGTON — After 13 years on the Duke bench, Chris Collins has accepted his first head coaching job from Northwestern, multiple Duke officials confirmed Wednesday.

Collins graduated from Duke in 1996 and still ranks 11th all-time in career 3-point field goals (209) at the school. At Duke, he works primarily with the backcourt players.

Collins, the son of Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins, will remain at Duke for the rest of the NCAA tournament.

He served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Shock of the WNBA (1998) and at Seton Hall under former Duke star Tommy Amaker (1999-2000). He joined the Duke staff in 2000.

Speedskating-Olympic great ‘King Happy’ Andersen dies at 90

OSLO, Norway — Norwegian speedskating great Hjalmar Andersen, who won three gold medals in three days to become the most decorated athlete at the 1952 Oslo Olympics, died on Wednesday only days after celebrating his 90th birthday, his family said.

Known affectionately as “King Happy”, Andersen died in an Oslo hospital after suffering a fall in his home on Monday.

Andersen won the 1500m, 5000m and the 10,000m — the latter by a record margin of 24.8 seconds — in the 1952 Winter Olympics.

Lions’ Spievey faces assault charge in domestic dispute

Detroit Lions safety Amari Spievey was arrested Tuesday in Connecticut and charged with third-degree assault in a dispute with his girlfriend over child support.

Spievey, 24, also was charged with risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct, according for a police report obtained by the Middletown (Conn.) Press.

His girfriend, Lisamarie Santos, 26, was charged with risk of injury and disorderly conduct.

The couple apparently argued over money and Spievey put his hand around her neck and pushed Santos while she was holding their 2-year-old daughter. Santos is accused of throwing punches at Spievey’s chest.

Both were scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

Spievey, a third-year player who was injured last season, re-signed with the Lions earlier this month.

Former Bulls C Boerwinkle dies at age 67

Former Chicago Bulls center Tom Boerwinkle has died at age 67 after a long illness.

Boerwinkle, a 7-footer, spent his entire career in Chicago after the Bulls drafted him in the first round out of the University of Tennessee in 1968.

He averaged 7.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists on teams that included Chet Walker, Bob Love, Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Lier. Boerwinkle set a Bulls record with 37 rebounds in a game against Phoenix on Jan. 8, 1970, and a team season record in 1970-71 with 1,133 boards.

“We were all heartbroken this morning to learn of the passing of Tom Boerwinkle,” Bulls executive vice president of business operations Steve Schanwald said. “In addition to being one of the Bulls’ all-time great players, Tom was one of the kindest men you would ever want to meet with the gentlest of souls. A true gentle giant who made great contributions to the Chicago Bulls organization on and off the court. We will miss him greatly.”

Boerwinkle also served as a Bulls radio broadcaster from 1991 to 1994.

“Tom was a once-in-a-lifetime guy,” former Tennessee teammate Bill Justus said. “When you meet a guy like him and have him as a teammate, he becomes a brother to you, and there’s no replacing someone like that.

“Despite his sheer size and presence, he was as genuine and loyal as can be. That’s not just me saying that; those are the sentiments of many, many of his former teammates. What a gentle giant we’ve lost … one of our best friends.”

Boerwinkle is survived by his wife, Linda, a son, Jeff, and a daughter, Gretchen.